Natick, Massachusetts is a town in Middlesex County in the Metro West region of Massachusetts.Natick is 15 miles west of Boston and considered part of the Greater Boston area. Natick, MA, also known as “Home of Champions,” has a population of 33,000. Natick, MA was first settled in 1651 by Puritan Missionary John Eliot. Eliot is well known for his attempts to preserve the culture of the Native Americans who were previously residing on the land. Eliot placed them in thirteen separate villages where they could continue under their own rule; however, Natick would be the political and spiritual center. Along with members of the tribe of Praying Indian translators, Eliot was responsible for printing the first written bible in the Algonquin language. The name Natick is derived from the Algonquin language, and means “place of hills.” Natick was officially incorporated as a town in 1781.

Natick, MA had its early roots in farming. The invention of the sewing machine in 1858 led to the development of several shoe factories. Less than thirty years later, Natick had twenty-three open factories and was third in the nation in footwear production. The town was most famous for its shoe called the brogan, which was a heavy, ankle-high boot worn by soldiers in the Civil War.

Every year on Patriot’s Day, miles eight through twelve of the Boston Marathon run through Natick along Route 135. Thousands of residents line the road to watch and support the runners.

Natick, Massachusetts is the hometown of Henry Wilson, a U.S. senator who went on to become the eighteenth Vice President of the United States. Wilson lived most of his life in Natick, working as a shoemaker and was known as the “Natick Cobbler.” Wilson died while he was in office and his body was brought back to Natick for burial.

Natick, MA is also home to Doug Flutie, a former New England Patriot, and Harriet Beecher Stowe, the American author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin.